SABARIMALA: Kerala Police now have a big task at hand in Sabarimala as they have to verify the antecedents of the women aged between 10 and 50 who are reaching Pamba to trek Sabarimala and also brief them about the volatile law and order situation prevailing at Sabarimala due to stiff protest by devotees against the entry of women in the particular age category and dissuade them.
On Friday, three women - an online journo Kavitha Jakkal from Hyderabad, activist Rehana Fathima from Kochi and Mary Sweety from Thiruvananthapuram - reached Pamba to trek to Sannidhanam. Though a special police team led by Inspector General S Sreejith escorted both Rehana Fathima and Kavitha to Sannidhanam, the women were asked to return to Pamba after a group of devotees blocked their entry at Nadapandhal at Sannidhanam chanting Swami Saranam. When Mary Sweety reached Pamba and decided to trek to Sannidhanam, police dissuaded her explaining about the volatile situation and safely escorted her back to Pathanamthitta.
While the state police are legally bound to give protection to women coming to Sabarimala for darshan following the Supreme Court verdict, they are now giving top priority to the law and order situation at Sabarimala. With Devaswom Minister Kadakkampilly Surendran on Friday making it clear that no forceful action will be taken to evict the protesting devotees at Sannidhanam, things have become much clear that the police won't use force on the devotees blocking the entry of women to Sabarimala.
The Minister also made it affirmative that they won't allow anyone to make use of the situation to hurt the sentiments of the devotees and convert Sabarimala into a war zone. He was referring to Rehana Fathima, a known activist, who made an attempt to enter Sabarimala.
Senior police officers said they have been directed to verify the background of the women devotees who are reaching Pamba to proceed to Sannidhanam during this volatile situation.
"Intelligence wing will be tracking the developments as there will be people with vested interests to make use of this vulnerable situation and flare up things for communal violence," a top police officer said.